Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-07
A CRIMINAL OVERSIGHT
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE THEA
TER AT EXETER.

No Egress for the Gallery Except Down a
Narrow Staircase With an Angle in It
Dead Piled In Heaps Found in the Trap
Others Burned 30 Cinder sand Ashes
Pitiable Scenes and Facts.
LONDON, Sept THE destruction of the
Theater Royal, at Exeter, was literal repeti-
ton of the Brooklyn theater horror, the scenes
attending the burning of the Opera Comique
in Paris, the terrible Ring theater disaster in
Vienna, and long list of similar catastrophes
that human foresight and ingenuity aud a
decent regard for the safety of life might
haye rendered impossible OF at least remotely
probable 1t was claimed for the theater
that it possessed all the latest improvements
and accessories for the presentatlon of first
class entertainments, and its proprietors and
managers were able to boast that its stage
would amply accommodate the hun
dreds of actors necessary TO the produc.
ton of a spectacular play; yet when through
carelessness or the imperfection of the gas
and scenic arrangements the building took
fire the occupants of the gallery were COM
PEELED to seek escape by means of a single
exit comprising a stairway not sufficiently
wide for three persons to walk abreast
There could be only one result of an attempt
by panic stricken crowd to force itself
through this channel into the open air, and
that was reached Immediately 1t ought not
to be difficult to locate the criminal response
bihty for failure 70 provide adequate means
of exit from the place, but already the blame
is being shifted from the shoulders of one
TO another and it would not be surprising if
all the guilty persons should ultimately sue
coed in evading the consequences of their
neglect
The victims by the burning of the theatre
were mostly working people As soon as the
flames were extrnguished large force of
men began searching for bodies. The stair
way leading to the gallery was literally
packed with bodies, while at the head of the
stairs there were scores of Others, piled one on
top of the other The unfortunate victims
bad rushed to the door when the alarm was
given, but found the stairway blocked and
all means of escape cut off. In short time
the flames had reached them, and they
suffered a horrible death.
1t has been ascertained that there were 2D0
persons occupying seats in the gallery, and of
these 100 lost their lives The search for
bodies still goes on. 1t is very probable that
the total number of deaths will never be as
certained, owing to the fact that many of the
bodies were completely cacined Two stalls
of stable belonging to hotel adjacent to
the theatre are filled with remains that it is
impossible to identify.
The construction of the gallery staircase
accounts for the great loss of life among the
gallery people. Half way down the flight
there was sharp angle The first persons
who left the gallery got past this safely, but
several of those who followed were thrown
down and jammed into the angle and were
unable to extricate themselves. owing to the
pressure from behind The staircase at this
point was thus eifectually blocked, and there
was no other means of escape
4 scene-shifter says the fire originated
among some gauze, which in some way be,
came ignited. The flames spread to the
scenery, of which the stage was unusually
full, owing to the preparations in progre : foi
the production of pantonnme
IfThere We're pitiful scenes N the vicinity of
the burned theatre TurSlly morning IS
friends AMI relatives Of supp tSed victin;>
awaited the recovery OF the bodies. In many
cases fathers aud mothers both persisted and
numerous children are thus lett without
means of support Several of the bodies
were burned So that only small cinder re-
mained. The total loss Of life is expected tc
reach lt0
The eDormity of the calamity has had an
appalling effect upon the public, and the &C
currence superse,ies all Others as a theme of
conversation. The London theatres have
suffered a marked decrease of receipts, and
it will lie some time before the more timi1
theatre-goers will venture TO resume their
habit of visiting crowded play houses
None of the backened aud charred corr SEES
that are still lying side by side in the stall
near the ruins of the theater have vet been
identified and it is likely that nearly all of
them will be buried as strangers possibly by
persons who knew them intimately in life
but who are unable to distinguish semblance
of their former friends in the revolving trunks
and fragments of flesh that escaped the fury
of the flames.